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‘Big night out’ ends with Perth man allegedly entering wrong house, shot by owner

By Heather McNeill and Rebecca Peppiatt

Updated February 26, 2024 — 4.42pm

A man who was shot when he allegedly broke into a home in Perth’s southern suburbs on Sunday morning claims he was drunk and accidentally stumbled into the wrong house.

Angus Glen Templeman was shot in the upper thigh by the Stake Hill homeowner, who found him in his six-year-old granddaughter’s bedroom, naked, about 3.20am on Sunday.

Details of how the incident unfolded were outlined in Perth Magistrates Court on Monday. Templeman was due to appear in person after being released from Royal Perth Hospital, but was turned away by court staff because he still had a drip in his arm.

Instead, the hearing was conducted from the back of a police car on Monday afternoon as the 27-year-old was being returned to the watch house.

His lawyer, Paul Holmes, said Templeman had no prior criminal history and no history of drug use, but claimed he was drunk when he allegedly broke into the property and stripped naked.

The court was told the female homeowner woke to hear her dog barking in the early hours of Sunday morning and saw lights shining into the property.

Police prosecutors said the woman and her husband were caring for their granddaughter and 14-year-old grandson, who were asleep in separate bedrooms, when she got up to see what the disturbance was.

The house’s fly screen to the living room was locked, and the glass door was open to allow for a breeze.

Templeman allegedly broke through the fly screen and entered the property, using the light from his mobile phone to guide his way.

The woman watched as he allegedly removed his shoes, socks and shorts, and entered her granddaughter’s room before closing the door behind him.

He allegedly removed his underwear and lay on the floor.

Prosecutors told the court the woman woke her husband, who brought a .22 calibre rifle and allegedly found Templeman standing in the wardrobe.

The man fired a shot which hit Templeman in the upper thigh.

Templeman allegedly ran from the house to his own property nearby, where police found him with the use of tracker dogs a short time later.

He was taken to hospital via ambulance and later charged with aggravated home burglary and one count of indecently dealing with a child under 13.

Prosecutors said while inquiries were continuing, CCTV footage from the property made it a “strong case”, and asked for bail to be denied.

But Magistrate Donna Webb said Templeman’s prior clean record and full-time job meant she was happy to grant him bail to another address away from the victims’ location.

“It is bizarre offending for someone who has no record,” she said.

Templeman was granted bail with the condition that he report to police twice a week, stay away from the victims and steers clear of alcohol.

He will return to court on March 25.

On Tuesday WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said there were no charges pending against the homeowner for discharging his firearm at the alleged intruder.

“Generally, a person in a house has a right to defend their home,” he told Gary Adshead on Radio 6PR.

“In each case, it’s about reasonableness and necessary force. Any investigation will have to determine that but, again, people have a right to defend their house and the alleged circumstances of this are that there was a person wearing no clothes inside this house.